During the 19th edition of the Erasmus Descartes Conference, twelve students from the Netherlands and France discussed with experts on themes like urban renewal, regeneration and transformation. The Erasmus Descartes Conference is a collaboration between the French embassy in the Netherlands and the Dutch embassy in France. The event took place on the Woudestein campus on Friday 19 November 2021 and was co-organised by the Economic Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR).
Importance of the exchange of knowledge and expertise
The conference started with an opening panel, consisting of Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam, Luis Vassy, French ambassador in the Netherlands and Robert-Jan Siegert, deputy chef de poste, moderated by Lionel Devlieger. Mayor Aboutaleb emphasized the importance of the exchange of knowledge and expertise between France and The Netherlands. He also took the opportunity to draw attention to the social aspects of construction and reconstruction projects.
Two panel discussions followed. During the first-round table discussion, the young talents and experts tackled the issue of demolition and reuse. Representatives from REMIX, BELLASTOCK and Paris Habitat explained their way of working. In their work, the emphasis is on proper dismantling, and reusing what is valuable.
The second panel discussion focused on innovation, certification and new materials. Hélène Schwoerer from Paris Habitat indicated that the focus should be on renovation and renewal of buildings, rather than building new constructions. ‘This must be done without forgetting the residents of these buildings.’
The conference ended with a few words of Luis Vassy, Robert-Jan Siegert and Rector Magnificus Prof. Annelien Bredenoord. Bredenoorrd stressed the importance of bringing experts together with young talents and multidisciplinary collaborations, to approach complex issues like climate change. Robert-Jan Siegert revealed the theme of the 2022 conference: Sustainable Aviation; how can industry and politics accelerate decarbonisation?